ZAPPA / MOI Uncle Meat RARE Orig UK 68 N/M LPs+Sticker

	£		330
	$		437

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Artist or Band: THE MOTHERS OF INVENTION

Album Title: Uncle Meat .

Produced: Frank Zappa.

TRACK LIST:

Side 1: Uncle Meat; The Voice of Cheese; Nine Types of Industrial Pollution; Zolar Czakl; Dog Breath in The Year of the Plague; The Legend of the Golden Arches; Louie Louie; The Dog Breath Variations.

Side 2: Sleeping in a Jar; our Bizarre Relationship; The Uncle Meat Variations; Electric Aunt Jemima; Prelude to King Kong; God Bless America; A Pound for a Brown on the Bus; Ian Underwood Whips it Out.

Side 3: Mr Green Genes; We Can Shoot You; If We’d All Been Living in California; The Air; Project X; Cruising for Burgers.

Side 4: King Kong Itself; King Kong by Don Preston; King Kong by Motorhead; King Kong the Gardener varieties; King Kong ‘deranged’; King Kong by Ian Underwood.

Label/Format: Transatlantic – original purple and white format and all four surfaces textured. I am sure this was never repressed, hence so many later US copies are seen here. (Please see my label scan).

Label Conditions: All four immaculate with spindle marks tiny, few and ultra faint, actually difficult to see any at all. A supreme example of this album that is only matched by my own personal copy. This superb double set has clearly barely been played and the labels are so incredibly clean and fresh, they without doubt have barely ever seen light-of-day or been handled. You want close to Mint Zappa masterpieces, look no further.

Cat Number: TRA 197.

Mode / Speed: Stereo / 33.3 rpm.

Weight of this Records: 150 / 162 grams. An incredible weight for this ultimate first pressed double set.

Country of Manufacture: England.

Rarity: UK pressings on Transatlantic are quite rare. It was not available very long before being deleted and not repressed here. So later Zappa fans had to rely on imported, usually US copies which were wafer thin and large inferior. The UK pressings did NOT include a book, but a British-made book, being different inside to the US book exist and were made available at the gigs of the era, they are very rare. Now this ultimate first-pressed copy is ever rarer still because of the cover detail: Until now, my own personal copy is the only one I had ever seen with the original manufacturer’s large price sticker on the front. I had seen a couple with large residues left by the sticker being removed but most of these never had this included in the first place. Removing this from new would have been a perilous and highly risky venture, usually resulting in cover tearing. I could hardly believe my eyes when I first saw this on an ‘Uncle Meat’ cover in the first place. I had to wait until the age of 51 to actually see one, not even knowing this ever had a manufacturer’s price sticker in the first place. The original US version had a dark red sticker promoting the book, but practically all UK covers are seen devoid of any stickers. Another shock was the original asking price for this (still then obscure) double set – 79s. 9d – that is a three old pennies under £4, a fairly substantial price for any record in 1968, especially one unlikely to sell in any great numbers. Transatlantic were the label at the time that would issue this album due to the explicit language used on some songs. This ultra rare original large price sticker (see in close-up) has remained in superb condition and has never been removed or tampered with. One corner (top left) has dried out a little and become unstuck but has caused NO damage beneath with no residues. There is zero creasing either. This large pre-decimal sticker has become a little transparent and it’s perfectly clear and obvious there is no damage below and this is has remained in it’s natural position since being applied back in 1968. Also, this is in exactly the same position as my own personal copy (that’s going nowhere in case anyone asks). In terms of rarity, both records are little short of pristine and play with breathtaking, reference quality sound with details, dynamics and sheer reality the CD versions lack. The cover is also in superb condition with all the important faces, including an immaculate spine, being barely worn and ultra clean. A massive ask on a cover that’s beyond wear-prone, especially with two very thick and heavy records inside. This is first-pressed Zappa at it’s very best with audiophile sound and looks, and ‘Uncle Meat’ remains one of my favourite within his vast catalogue. A copy for the discerning collector and try to find another like this again.

Original Year of Release: 1969

Matrix Nos: STRA 197 A1 / STRA 197 B1 / STRA 197 C1 / STRA 197 D1

Musicians: Frank Zappa – guitar, percussion, vocals; Ray Collins - vocals; Jimmy Carl Black - drums; Roy Estrada - electric bass, vocal; Don Preston - electric piano; Billy Mundi - drums; Bunk Gardner - piccolo, flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax, tenor sax, bassoon (all mostly electrified); Ian Underwood - electric organ, pinao, harpsichord, celeste, flute, clarinet, alto sax, baritone sax; Art Tripp - drums, timpani, vibes, marimba, xylophone, wood blocks, bells, small chimes; Euclid James (Motorhead) Sherwood - frenetic sax; tambourine. Guests: Ruth Komanoff (later Underwood) - marimba, vibes; Nelcy Walker - soprano vocal.

Brief Artist & Album Info: In terms of ‘progressive’ music, they don’t come much more progressive than this awesome double album. One of the cornerstones of a serious Zappa collection regardless of which pressing or country of issue it comes from. I am happy to offer any super-clean great-sounding copy of what is one of my favourite albums ever. An amazing blend of rock, psychedelia and free-jazz and very experimental. The use of early electronics and treatments of voices and traditional musical instruments is quite mind-blowing. This was the Mothers of Invention with eleven members, it introduces us to Ruth Komanoff (later Underwood) a massively talented classically-trained percussionist who really understood Zappa’s complex music and plays the distinctive marimba and other vibes on this remarkable set. Zappa was still printing Edgard Varèse’s quote on his albums - ‘The present day composer refuses to die!’ - but so far his talent for outrage had somewhat obscured his skills as a composer. Uncle Meat aimed to put that right, a double release that down-played lyrics. ‘Basically this is an instrumental album’, it stated inside the gatefold. A note described the technique of overdubbing, which was used extensively, opening up the weird world of virtual orchestration. New recruits, Arthur Tripp and Ruth Komanoff were both added on percussion with Jimmy Carl Black. They helped Zappa realise some of his fiendish metrical ingenuities. Ian Underwood played harpsichord: a jangling, absurdist quality infuses all the music. Uncle Meat eventually became a great favourite in Europe, and almost single-handedly gave birth to the genre of ‘Art Rock’. The music was to be used in the movie of the same name, but never got actually finished until much later (the money ran out). This is Zappa at the very peak of creativity, predominately instrumental, but not all, it includes some classic live performances taken from tours in the US and UK. ‘Louie Louie’ features Don Preston on the ‘mighty Royal Albert Hall Pipe Organ’ and the band also demolish ‘God Bless America’ (an equivalent statement to the distortions Hendrix was applying to ‘Star Spangled Banner’). Pamela Zarubica (a one time house-mate) appeared as the ‘Voice of the Cheese’ - Zappa takes the listener from domestic intimacy to rock-venue spectacle in breathtaking lurches. Every track is interesting in its complexity either vocally, or more so instrumentally. Zappa’s solo on ‘Nine Type of Industrial Pollution’ has inspired many guitarists in the future with its strange chord structures and sound. ‘The Air’ had lyrics about customs searches and tape recordings and ‘If We’d all Been Living in California’ is a conversation between Jimmy Carl Black and Zappa about why the Mothers were not making more money being on the road and being near destitute. The album’s piece-de-resistance and long-standing favourite is Side D taken up by one of Zappa’s greatest compositions: ‘King Kong’, this is a six section instrumental featuring some blistering solos from Underwood on electric alto sax, Motorhead on a deranged baritone sax and best of all Bunk Gardner’s solo. Many assume this is a treated electric saxophone solo, but not so. The amazing sounds are created on an electric clarinet - you have never heard nothing like this before - the reed’s spit and rasp and create a sound possibly unique to this amazing album. The instrument is simply blown to destruction, this is Gardner’s tour de force, his finest moment with the Mothers. The large band is in overdrive on ‘Kong Kong’ and sounds created are astonishing. I compared this vinyl record against the new Japanese card cover CD and the vinyl has the edge in all departments with more detail and depth. The prelude to King Kong on side B is pretty amazing too, a vast free-form jazz rock instrumental - this is the band blowing at their very best. (Check out the CD Pachuco Hop if you can find it for more of the same, recorded live in Toronto 1969 - its incredible). For any Zappa fan who has not heard this amazing journey into free jazz and weird creativity, this has to be experienced. This jaw-drop UK ultimate first issue plays beautifully with barely anything unwanted. The sounds embedded in these vintage grooves are priceless and so far ahead of their time they still sound remarkable today. The use of early synths and electronic effects was groundbreaking, and no other album sounds quite like this, this record and it’s importance in progressive and jazz rock is undeniable. If it proved to weird for you back in the late 60s, give it another try today, the best records take time to fully appreciate and this is more than worthy of perseverance. Zappa was truly was the Father of Invention, this elusive album, should please all collectors and I doubt if I will ever find a much cleaner overall examples of the records or cover which always seem to wear so badly. Regarding this man’s work – this is truly one of the very best ever. Weird? oh yes, very much so – enjoy!

Cover’s Potential for Wear: Very high++. Both UK and US covers are notoriously fragile and split, rub and wear so badly unless stored and handled with extreme card. Best to keep the records out of the cover all the time, few ever did.

Cover Grade and Format: EXCELLENT++, and arguably better still. An unlaminated gatefold format and made with quite thin card, hardly surprising these very thick heavy records usually into the surface to cause often deeply, ugly ringwear. Printed and made in England by MacNeill Press. The UK pressings did not include a book. But one does exist that was made available at the gigs but cannot be considered as a part of this album. Only the early US versions included one.

Cover Front: Not the prettiest front cover artwork ever made but one of the best UK ones I have ever seen and that’s the honest truth. Only the second ever with the very large original pre-decimal factory-applied price sticker (as mentioned above in detail). The other in my own collection that will not be offered for sale. I have described this ultra rare price sticker in my ‘Rarity’ paragraph further up and do not underestimate just how rare it is. 79 shillings and 9 pence was a hefty price back in 1969 and would not have helped sales, that is a fraction under £4 in old money (and new money). This front is little short of stunning and very rarely seen quite like this. It has NO ringwear at all and is ultra clean, fresh and devoid of rubbing bar the tiniest trace on the very bottom edge from storage (but look very hard). Any creasing is ultra tiny, few and faint and the colour is rich and vibrant. At least the equal of my own personal copy and that original pre-decimal price sticker gives this extra authenticity of vintage and unusualness. Graded alone, a stunning Mint(-).

Cover Back: The back is almost the same again in ever respect bar a light rub near the top edge centre – a mere small friction mark against the internal flipback. There is NO ringwear again, that’s a near impossible task.

Cover Inner Gatefold: Stunningly fresh and ultra clean with supreme rich colour with practically nothing to fault, almost as made and worthy of note again is the lack of pressure marks, creasing and rim marks. No set-off or grubbiness on any of the main four faces.

Top & Bottom Edges: The top pair have little more than ultra faint rub traces. The bottom pair – the resting ones – have only light rubbing. In context very light indeed for a cover that is so unforgiving and prone to wooliness.

Right Edge(s), and Type: Clean and very sharp with barely any wear, both guaranteed untrimmed. Records entered on these fragile edges. I can hardly believe there is not even a minor thumb crease to remove these massive records – incredible.

Spine and Text: The spine is also in amazing condition: solid, ultra clean, fresh with no compression and practically devoid of any wear. Folded squarely with the right edges meeting up flush and parallel. All text little short of perfect with just a tiny rub trace to the ‘Z’ in ‘BIZARRE’ at the top. I think I am getting a tad carried away now.

Corners: Any tip rubs are tiny and faint, few will ever show less and these retain very fine to excellent shape.

Cover Summary: The most difficult UK-made Zappa cover ever. Unlaminated double sets with very heavy records inside have little chance and this one is very rare to find even near Excellent, let alone better. To find it with that very rare, original pre-decimal sticker still in near pristine condition, is a massively difficult ask, but it’s here as my pictures prove. Not quite pristine, but this raises the bar to dizzy new heights.

The Inner Sleeves: The two plain, unlined, open windowed inners are included. A little aged with lightish discolour, one a little more than the other, but edges all unsplit and with minimal creasing. They both have ‘Patent Applied For’ text and ‘Made in Great Britain’.

Vinyl Condition/Visual Grading: MINT(-) (or as close as they will be), for all four sides, barely played for certain and finding much cleaner playing surfaces for records of this type will prove near impossible. A superb visual pair that are super clean, shiny, intense black and heavily pressed. A near factory fresh pair and visually beautiful with any surface trace marks ultra few, faint and minor, just visible with scrutiny under light, a near factory-fresh pair of records that were seldom bought by hi-fi purists. Tthey should please most-all collectors.

Album Played For Grading: Yes. [I play ALL records I offer before submitting to Ebay, also the record is played in its entirety unless clearly stated otherwise. I do NOT play snippets or joining grooves to check for sound quality and quietness – I play from the beginning to end via clinically revealing B&W speakers that include the legendary tweeter from their awesome Nautilus range that reveals every blemish or miniscule sound present on any record.]

Sound Quality and Audio Grading: Both records play up to their high visual grading with nothing to fault. Strong, distortion-free sound, all frequencies are sharp and clear - sound quality is simply awesome with a wide dynamic range and very detailed sound. The details and dynanics of a first issue pressing blows away any others and the CDs hardly even compare. Devoid of surface sound and no pops or clicks were noted and this is an exceptional clean pressing for a very challenging album. Transatlantic were not always the most reliable label for pristine pressings, but they excelled on this one. Not a label known for too many ‘progressive’ or ‘underground’ acts, mostly a dedicated folk label and this was Zappa’s only release on it. Few copies will match or outperform this remarkably preserved set. Nothing spoilt my pleasure when play-grading these astonishing records, it’s always a thrill for me to hear this album via the analogue format and my Japanese card CD versions are slowly gathering dust. This set will prove very difficult to find better and merits my highest possible recommendation. Thus far, my very best ‘Uncle Meat’ ever, a keeper-copy even for the most discerning collector.

Now one of the most established sellers on Ebay and still offering the finest and most accurately described and graded records I can find. I pride myself on offering a variety of genres to keep my site as interesting as possible. I will rarely offer any record that falls below a true Excellent grading, unless its of a certain rarity which will justify offering a lesser grade. I try, to the best of my ability to describe as accurately and as honesty as I can all items I offer for sale with all the relevant information I can think of to help any potential bidder and collector. You may notice I only submit records sparingly on Ebay - on average ONEADAY, a couple more at weekends if time permits, hence the name - time rarely allows for more as I Play-Grade virtually every record I offer in their entirety, not just bits to guess a grade - visuals alone do not always tell a true or full story. I will mention any defects or flaws no matter how small that I notice to be fair as possible to any interested collector – I am very fussy and my buyers have the right to be too. Every record I offer, whether it be a common or rare item deserves the same respect as far as I am concerned and will be treated the same - just because an item is rare does not always mean its good. I get just as much pleasure offering a relatively common record in stunning near mint condition as the real rare items. All the pictures I use for your guidance are taken with a digital camera or scanned - they are NOT improved, cleaned-up or made better looking than they are with camera trickery or enhancing with digital programmes. What you see is what you get and scanned labels will give a more accurate representation of the genuine colour than flash photography where light is variable. I cannot guarantee total accuracy for colours however but most will be very close. If any picture I take looks more flattering than the actual item for any reason, I will clearly state the fact in the advert and vice-versa. I hope the item below is to your liking - any questions can be emailed and I will do my very best to answer you. I am enthusiastic, and have a fair degree of knowledge about many genres and I promise quality items - bid with confidence - excellence comes as standard and so does Near Mint regularly. Please assume all records I offer have NO jumps, sticks, warps or writing on covers or labels unless clearly stated to the contrary. Thanks for your interest and Good luck – MIKE.

Deck: Linn LP12/Hercules/Cirkus with Ittok Mk II arm and Ortofon Rondo Red moving coil cartridge (tracks at 2 grams). Amps: Naim Nait 5i with Project USB phono stage and Chord interconnects. Speakers: B&W 704 Floorstanding 3-way Monitors (bi-wired with QED Silver terminated cable). All records I offer on Ebay are cleaned on a professional Moth vacuum machine before play-grading for the cleanest and best possible sound and will include a brand new lined inner and protective cover too.

First-time, zero-rated bidders, who do not ask permission to bid, will be cancelled immediately and blocked – NO exceptions. For winning bidders who I consider excessively slow to make contact or submit payment, I will use my right to block future bids. If any bidder who wins in the final seconds is present to do so, surely they can at least email me to inform of intention and payment method? If swift or promp payment is a problem, please do not bid.

PACKING - THIS IS WHAT YOU GET - PLEASE SEE MY TYPICAL PACKING BOX PICTURE.

What You Get: To confirm to the strict Ebay rules on shipping, I must now send ALL my packets ‘Signed-For’ with NO exceptions. Both buyers and sellers want their packets to have a safer journey and this is not a bad thing.

I now offer the fastest possible posting, often the very next day after payment is received or within two to three days maximum (unless on holiday). I only use FIRST-CLASS Mail. The record’s cover will be placed within a BRAND NEW soft protective sleeve and the actual record will be professionally cleaned on my Moth Pro vacuum system to give ultimate clean grooves and playing surfaces and the best possible looks and ultimate sound quality. You will NOT get tired, dull looking, dust infested records inside worn and foggy covers with tatty inners from this seller and that’s a promise and guarantee. All records are posted in professional thick boxes (NOT Mailers or Cruciforms, these do not offer maximum protection). The record(s) REMOVED from their main cover to avoid edge splits and placed within a brand new polylined inner. The record’s original inner will be included if available. The boxes are then reinforced with THREE or EVEN FOUR ULTRA THICK stiffeners for maximum extra protection – these are FOUR TIMES thicker than commercial stiffeners and are custom-made for oneadayrecords. Really rare and expensive albums will even be Double Boxed if deemed necessary and possible. The thick record and stiffener ‘sandwich’ is then thickly embedded into bubble-wrap to bulk out the record inside the box to centre the item inside to reduce the risk of damage still further. Printed address labels are used for clarity as well as a sender label. Customers requests or special needs for P&P will be respected if at all possible but ‘Signed-For’ posting is NOT an option anymore. Please see my picture of a typical finished box packet that will now be used on ALL transactions as from now. I do not profit on posting and the cost of this lavish packing is NOT even charged for, I offer probably the best-value and safest shipping possible for ultimate confidence. These boxes and ultra thick double-wall stiffners and bubble wrap make a near impregnable fortress for safe shipping and this is used inland and overseas for ALL my records, not just the rare and expensive. I will invoice any winning bidder as soon as possible after the auction ends. My ‘loss’ or ‘damage rate’ is less than one in two thousand based on over 6,000+ items sold in over 8 years of Ebay trading and I consider that pretty exceptional. The only damage rate acceptable for this seller is ZERO and I think my packets will offer just that. It would take a vicious postman or postal service to damage these for sure. Even one of these stiffners cannot be bent by hand, so what chance 3 or 4 inside a box? Oneadayrecords is a MAILER-FREE ZONE. I discount of course for multiple purchases with a maximum of FOUR records per box (one double can sometimes be included subject to total weight). I will not respond to questions on shipping costs as all the details are included here and on ALL of my adverts. Details below:

NOTE: First Time Bidders: I will cancel ALL first-time bidders with no feedbacks or excessive negatives who do not ask me if its OK to bid first – NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please Note: I will now offer any item to the runner-up after the mandatory Ebay 3 days if no contact is made by the winning bidder unless prior notice of any delay is given beforehand. The same applies if no payment is received within the mandatory 7 days so any bidder who has just lost out can still email me to reserve the item as priority second chance – it’s always worth asking.

SHIPPING COSTS & CONDITIONS – THESE comply with EBAY’S RULES - PLEASE READ CAREFULLY:

Posting & Packing: UK & CHANNEL ISLANDS all now sent via Recorded Delivery:

1 LP (FIRST-CLASS Recorded Delivery with Standard Royal Mail Insurance) [Signed For] = £4.

1 LP (Special Delivery with Standard £500 Maximum Insurance) [Signed For, Next Day] = £7.50. (this includes insurance of £500). Add £2 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: EUROPE & SCANDINAVIA. (Airmail Only):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£40 maximum]) = £9. (insurance optional extra £3). Add £2.50 per extra LP.

Posting & Packing: ALL OVERSEAS (non-European) e.g. USA (ANY PART OF); Australia; Canada; Japan and other Far East; (Airmail Only: I NEVER use Surface Mail):

1 LP (Small Packet ‘Signed For’ with Standard Royal Mail Insurance [£39 maximum]) = £13. Add £4 per extra LP. (insurance optional extra £3)

Payment Conditions:

I prefer PayPal or cheque from UK winning bidders. I can accept PayPal from overseas bidders or direct payment into my bank account.

Potential Bidders: Please do not bid if you have negative feedback unless checking first, I will cancel any bids I feel are timewasters. A maximum 3 days for communication and 7 days for payment to arrive - if not I will relist the item or offer to the runner-up. Fast deals get great feedback from me. Any questions - please ask and thanks for looking.

My Guarantee: If any winning bidder is not satisfied with their purchase I will offer a complete refund. I will not refund if any defect detail is clearly stated on the advert and missed by the buyer, so read the item description carefully. If any overseas collector does not understand anything in my listing, please email and ask me to help. Thank You.

SOME GENERAL GUIDES TO WEAR AND CONDITIONS TO HELP YOU DECIDE

My Use of Description Terminology: Surface Marks = Superficial, usually light marks, hairlines or light scuffs that rarely sound. Scratch = a needle mark that goes below the record’s surface, some will sound, some will not, my play-grade will inform. Original = a record that has been pressed with the first label design which does NOT neccessarily mean a very first pressed record. First Pressing = A record that I believe or know to be a genuine very first pressed record. I do not claim to always know for sure, and that’s why I state the stamper and matrix numbers if at all possible, for those who claim to know what they all mean, the information is there for the collector to decide. I prefer to use terms like ‘Early Copy’ rather than ‘First Pressing’ if I am not totally sure. Surface Sound = Mild, light sound, usually light crackle or similar. Distortion = Break up of the actual sound caused by groove wear or damage from a chipped stylus – the most undesirable form of unwanted sound, vintage mono records were the most prone to this happening but not exclusively so. The symptoms of distortion are high frequency clipping, moderate constant crackle or an echo type sound quality. Violin, piano and vocals are most prone to groove-wear distortion. Feathering = Fraying or softening of the entry edge of a cover. Covers with feathered entrance edges are more likely to have had the actual record inserted and removed more than a non-feathered, sharp-edged cover which are always far more attractive. Set Off, actually a printer’s term for dark ink leaving mild residue on pale or white ink when rested upon. e.g. when a gatefold cover has black ink closed against white, this can leave some black residue on the pale area – this is mostly unavoidable or course.

The Argument for Vinyl Original sound and mix (mono mixes are rarely available on CD), high quality sound on clean copies (played on a hi-end dedicated analogue system – breathtaking sound!), beautiful, large format covers, artwork, inserts and even full size posters etc; huge investment potential, and the pleasure of owning ‘the real thing’.